China achieves major breakthrough in synthetic natural gas (SNG) technology, marking another progress to achieve technology independence

[beijingwalker]

China achieves major breakthrough in synthetic natural gas (SNG) technology, marking another progress to achieve technology independence

By Global Times

Published: Aug 09, 2022 08:20 PM

China has achieved a major breakthrough in a green technology in producing synthetic natural gas (SNG) using a domestic developed catalyst that can outperform foreign technologies. This marks another progress for China to achieve technology independence in the push for green transformation and strengthening energy security.

A methanation catalyst jointly developed by a subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), and Southwest Research & Design Institute of the Chemical Industry Co has achieved stable operation at 110 percent full load for the first time in a large-scale SNG project in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the methane concentration it achieved reached 61.7 percent, nearly 3 percentage points higher than that of foreign imported technology, CNOOC said in a statement on Monday.

SNG is a clean synthetic natural gas produced by coal after gasification, purification and methanation. As a key technology to turn coal into clean energy, methanation technology plays a vital role in improving coal utilization efficiency.

The breakthrough in methanation technology marks the latest development for China to substitute imported technology with domestic alternatives in producing SNG. Achievements were already made in coal gasification, transformation, deacidification among other technologies.

It marks the technology localization of the whole industrial chain in the field of SNG, filling the gap in the domestic industry, and is of great significance for the continuous and stable supply of natural gas and the guarantee of national energy security, CNOOC said.

The joint research dated back to 2013 and the independently developed methanation catalyst benefits from high temperature resistance, high stability and resistance to carbon deposition, which can meet the production requirements of large-scale SNG production, CNOOC said.

Following the success, the company said it will continue to expand the use of methanation technology in the integration of coal chemical industry and renewable energy, and emission reduction to serve the nation's carbon emissions peak and carbon neutrality goals.

China achieves major breakthrough in methanation technology in SNG production - Global Times

www.globaltimes.cn

 

[FuturePAF]

Any estimates of the costs and how much water is required for this process of coal gasification?

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

Chinese Tech may help Pakistan become self-sufficient in energy as we have vast deposits of coal in Thar.

 

[kankan326]

Germany badly needs that technology. It will probably send an inquiry very soon.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Germany badly needs that technology. It will probably send an inquiry very soon.

They already produce synthetic methane

Natural gas pipeline in Germany holds “green” methane; Austria has similar plans

Natural gas substitutes are still expensive, but proving the technology is a good step.

arstechnica.com

The problem is finding a free source of raw hydrogen needed to make methane since the energy used to produce hydrogen (out of water usually) makes methane production nonsensical.

Elon Musk alluded to that about hydrogen powered vehicles as being an absurd power source for electric vehicles since it takes a lot of energy to make hydrogen

 

[SaadH]

Chinese Tech may help Pakistan become self-sufficient in energy as we have vast deposits of coal in Thar.

We have American agents in GHQ, Chinese will stay away for the time being.

 

[dbc]

Germany badly needs that technology. It will probably send an inquiry very soon.

The technology was developed by the Germans during World War II. I don't think they need China's help.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

The technology was developed by the Germans during World War II. I don't think they need China's help.

Germans in WW2 developed coal gasification (to syngas) and liquefaction from syngas. I am unaware of the methane producing process developed at that time.

 

[dbc]

Germans in WW2 developed coal gasification (to syngas) and liquefaction from syngas. I am unaware of the methane producing process developed at that time.

They pioneered the Bergius-Pie process, syngas is converted to Methanol via Methanol-synthesis (1923) and then Gasoline.

Methanol Production – A Technical History | Johnson Matthey Technology Review

Global methanol production in 2016 was around 85 million metric tonnes (1), enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool every twelve minutes. And if all the global production capacity were in full use, it would only take eight minutes. The vast majority of the produced methanol undergoes at...

technology.matthey.com

1927

www.basf.com

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

They pioneered the Bergius-Pie process, syngas is converted to Methanol via Methanol-synthesis (1923) and then Gasoline.

Methanol Production – A Technical History | Johnson Matthey Technology Review

Global methanol production in 2016 was around 85 million metric tonnes (1), enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool every twelve minutes. And if all the global production capacity were in full use, it would only take eight minutes. The vast majority of the produced methanol undergoes at...

technology.matthey.com

1927

www.basf.com

that's coal liquefaction, not synthetic natural gas which is methane, not methanol.

 

[dbc]

that's coal liquefaction, not synthetic natural gas which is methane, not methanol.

Sure, Hilter's Germany was not interested in methane but gasoline.
The difference is in 1923 Germany used hydrogenation since water and CO2 emmission wasn't a concern back then. The point is Germany has a long history of exploiting coal as an energy source and does not need China.

 

[DoTell]

Sure, Hilter's Germany was not interested in methane but gasoline.
The difference is in 1923 Germany used hydrogenation since water and CO2 emmission wasn't a concern back then. The point is Germany has a long history of exploiting coal as an energy source and does not need China.

Germany has a long history of doing something therefore they must know everything about that something, and no one else (especially China, mind you) can possibly do any better. Gocha! That's some brilliant "think tank" logic

 

[dbc]

Germany has a long history of doing something therefore they must know everything about that something, and no one else (especially China, mind you) can possibly do any better. Gocha! That's some brilliant "think tank" logic

sure they do, they already produce synthetic gas as a proof of concept. As a matter of fact their process uses Hydrogen not coal and is even greener than the Chinese design. They plan on using the methanation process to supply 10% of Germany's energy needs in the future.

 

[antonius123]

sure they do, they already produce synthetic gas as a proof of concept. As a matter of fact their process uses Hydrogen not coal and is even greener than the Chinese design. They plan on using the methanation process to supply 10% of Germany's energy needs in the future.

Not much commercial use; what world need is methane from coal.

 

[MH.Yang]

As a matter of fact their process uses Hydrogen not coal and is even greener than the Chinese design.

If hydrogen is used, the commercialization of this technology will be greatly reduced. The cost of hydrogen is high and the storage conditions are harsh. If too much hydrogen is used in the industrial process, the cost will be greatly increased.
In addition, I need to remind you that the industrial process of extracting hydrogen will already cause pollution. For example, electrolytic water or other gas reactions may consume a large amount of electric energy and generate harmful gases. Moreover, hydrogen is difficult to compress, and it will cause pollution during storage and transportation.